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HAPPY EASTER

And a HAPPY PASSOVER too!!


Yes, I know I'm a little early on one and a little late on the other--my calendar is in a knot and my week's all a jumble, but at least I finally got the greetings out. :-)

So, did I tell you...

the latest saga of the search for the perfect hiking shoe? Well, actually, thanks to David G., and an excellent price at Sport Chalet a few months ago, after 3 weeks of trying to find a pair in my size, I thought the search was over. My lovely light weight, perfect fitting Merrell Chameleon Ventilator II shoes (in taupe, of course) were wonderful, well broken in and had survived three dunkings--the latest of which they were still drying out from Monday evening. Last night I went to check to see if they were dry enough to brush off and put away. Well, they weren't quite dry. They also weren't quite where I had left them.

My roommate had been ordered out of town on a business trip at the last minute and had rushed home to pack. My shoes, now a few feet away from where I had left them, had probably managed to get in his way as he was flying through the house gathering his belongings. No problem, I thought. I'll just retrieve them, check them and put them away properly. Problem--not only were the shoes not quite dry, they were also not quite whole. They'd been eaten.

No, not by the dog. And definitely not by the bird. It seems our annual summer rodent migration has begun a little early this year, much to the agony of every one of my suitcases, a few of my book bags, my computer bag, a couple of camera bags, and now my hiking shoes.

So, now I must go through the long, painstaking search for another pair of women's, 8.5 Merrell Chameleon Ventillator II's in taupe and hopefully at the same price or less than I payed for the first pair. Sport Chalet doesn't have them, at least nowhere in SoCal. They're too expensive at REI, though they will most likely have a pair. I can't wait 3 weeks for another new pair. I really need them this weekend, if at all possible. So I guess it's off to the web I go hunting.

Where to go? What to do?

I'll worry about the "when" a little later, mainly because the what and where often help to determine the when.

Now that the date of the hike is set, it's time to start the hurry-scurry flurry of confusion that goes into making a list of all the things I would like to see and do while in France. While there are sites to see in Paris, and I do plan on seeing them someday, this may not be the right trip for that. The trek is based out of Montpellier, so the thought is to either fly into Paris and then take the train or another short flight directly there.

After that, well touring Montpellier is obvious. There are also several other nearby (by train) sites to see. Such as Toulouse, which has a basilica, a cathedral and a monastary that was apparently home to the early beginnings of the inquisition. Then there is Albi--not far from Toulouse. Albi was a major center for Cathar Heresy (right in line with the theme of the hike I will be on) and the birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec. Naturally, the Lautrec Museum is there.

Along this same path, though a bit further away, lies Rocamadour. I would definitely like to see this village, but the trains don't seem very favourable for a day outing. Basically, I would have to spend the better part of a day from mid-afternoon to evening getting there, then spend the next day touring, and most of a third day getting back to Montpellier. It might be a better trip for the route back to Paris after the hike--I should check.

There's also Lascaux with it's cave paintings, even if we can't see the originals anymore. And Les Eyzies as well. Both are in the Perigord (Dordogne) region, which has more to see than I can possibly manage on this trip.

Closer to Montpellier is Nimes with its Roman ruins. Avignon lays claim to the Palace of the Popes. And there is still more, but I haven't had a chance to research it all yet.

This list is likely to just keep growing for a while. I'm such a hopeless case when it comes to narrowing down what to do on a trip.

More Movies, of course

Failure To Launch::Ok, I admit it. I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, always have been. And I did enjoy this one, both its light hearted and serious moments. It's short, sweet, and a good date movie. Well, unless your date prefers shoot-em-ups. Even my roommate enjoyed it, and he is most definitely a guy.

Ice Age:The Meltdown:: Saw this with my nieces, nephew and about a hundred other kids yesterday afternoon. Even the adults were laughing. It is no worse, and may possibly be better than Ice Age 1. My favourite parts--anything to do with that squirrely and his uncontrollable acorn fetish. And there were several scenes.

Something new

That's right, I've added a little something to the sidebar just for those of you who think that I don't read. I won't be placing everything I read here--I read a lot of technical gobbledy gook, not to mention the stuff I research for my writing projects--but I will list some of the fiction. And where possible, I will link the cover photo to the book on Amazon, and the author name will be linked either to an interview or his/her website.